Interesting Perspective On The Film

[Grissom]

 

[GothamAlleys]

Interesting. Having done the research for my blog's article about the tone of BR I found more than I ever thought I would - special TV shows against BR, toy companies withdrawing licenses etc. Interestingly enough, at the time I didnt find it much different than 89's movie. Ironically, it is NOW that Im being creeped out by some things and when I see how sad and gothic the movie is in a poetic way. For example, one thing thats very creepy for me in the movie and is like a scene straight out of a horror movie is when Bruce finds out that Penguin is a child murderer, when he reads about mysterious disappearances in the old newspaper. What he reads there, combined with the fact that we never see the "boy" is really chilling imo. And the movie ends on a triple sad note, all 3 characters have a gloomy and sad ending and contrastingly during Christmas time.
But at the time when I first saw it (right after it came out on VHS), I found it very consistent with the first movie. Sure, I noticed the darker look and the more claustrophobic feel, but I attributed it to the winter setting - its always dark in the winter and theres always much less people/activity outside. And sure, the movie was dark and sad, but the thing with Burton is that he can make the most dark things fun - like in Beetlejuice, which is about death, ghosts, ghouls and haunting. Yet it all somewhat works in such way that you view all those things as 'fun entertainment'

[Seantastic]

I actually found the first Batman alot scarier than Returns, hell, I was watching Returns when I was 2 or 3, continuiously, whereas with 89, I didn't watch it for what had to be nearly 8 years, seriously

[GothamAlleys]

I actually found the first Batman alot scarier than Returns, hell, I was watching Returns when I was 2 or 3, continuiously, whereas with 89, I didn't watch it for what had to be nearly 8 years, seriously

The first one had some spooky moments too, mainly the surgeon scene and Joker talking to the corpse

[The Dark Knight]

And sure, the movie was dark and sad, but the thing with Burton is that he can make the most dark things fun - like in Beetlejuice, which is about death, ghosts, ghouls and haunting. Yet it all somewhat works in such way that you view all those things as 'fun entertainment'

Exactly. Burton?s Batman had balance. You could have a crazed clown (as the Penguin would put it) having a conversation with a fried corpse - and it didn?t overwhelm the tone. It all felt pretty seamless. This quote from Burton helps to summarize what I?m trying to convey: ?Play it with a straight face which would leave room for laughs.? They were dark melodramas, but they had the added benefit of absurd humour.

[GothamAlleys]

Right, it all works and its all very surreal but works. A seamless blend as you said. For example, seeing a deformed Penguin man riding in a happy yellow duck is absurd but you dont think of it like that while watching the movie

[Kingdjack4500]

Seriously, this is why you don't take 7 year-old to a PG-13 movie.
I was 22 at the time and I found nothing traumatizing about it.

dude I was 7 when I saw that movie so that was a lie especially when I had to learn son of a bitch was a bad word after watching the 1st movie